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LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Anani Matthia, a member of the International Olympic Committee for 24 years, has died. He was 81.

The IOC announced Matthia's death Tuesday, but did not give further details. He was elected to serve as a member for Togo in 1983, and was made an honorary member in 2007.
In 1999, Matthia received a "serious warning" from the IOC following an investigation of members' conduct in the Salt Lake City bidding scandal.

Matthia, who was a pharmacist by profession, became president of the Togolese Football Federation in 1972. Four years later he was made president of the west African country's national Olympic committee.

The IOC said in a statement that Matthia always promoted the Olympic values and understood the importance of sport in society.

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Anani Matthia, the former president of the Togolese Football Association and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for 24 years, passed away on 9 December at the age of 81.

As well as being a trained pharmacist, Matthia was a former player who was elected president of the Togolese FA in 1972. Four years later, he was voted in as president of the West African Olympic Committee before becoming part of the IOC in 1983 (and being named an honorary member in 2007).

He was member of the FIFA Technical Committee from 1994 to 1998 and then the Disciplinary Committee from 1998 to 2002. "He played a defining role in promoting and developing football," said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter in a letter of condolences addressed to the Togolese FA and to Matthia's family. "The death of Anani Matthia is a great loss to the Olympic movement and to sport in general."